After a marathon session of negotiations, India and Dubai agreed to enhance the bilateral seat entitlements between the two countries by another 11,000 seats per week.
Currently, the bilateral seat entitlements between India and Dubai are at 54,200 seats per week.
“The increase will be done in three phases,” said a senior civil aviation ministry official. “In the first phase, which will be this summer schedule (April-October 2014), there will be 5,500 addition seats per week, in the winter schedule (October 2014-March 2015) there will be 3,300 seats and finally in next year’s summer schedule, an additional 2,200 seats per week will be increased.”
The meeting, which started on Wednesday evening, finished late in the night as the two sides were keen on completing the negotiations on Wednesday and move ahead with the signing of the MoU. The increase would mean that Emirates should be able to deploy at least two flights per day of the superjumbo A380 without any reduction in its current flights to India immediately. By the time the enhanced entitlements are fully completed, Emirates will be able to have four flights per week of the A380. The change in the bilateral air services agreement also has a major positive for Indian carriers. “Dubai has agreed to give the Indian carriers a change of gauge facility at the Dubai Airport,” said the civil aviation ministry official quoted above. “This would mean carriers who want to use Dubai as a hub can keep larger planes parked at Dubai,” he added.
A similar facility was also given by Abu Dhabi to Indian carriers. Of the current entitlements, Emirates and flydubai utilise almost the entire entitlement. Dubai had asked for an increase by 20,000 seats per week in late 2012. However, at that time Indian carriers were yet to fully utilise their entitlements. Since then, Indian carriers have started new flights to Dubai and as of the Winter Schedule they were utilising over 80% of the entitlements.
By summer 2014, this number is set to go up to 95%, which led to the aviation ministry finally considering Dubai’s request for enhancement. Air India and IndiGo had objected to the increase at an inter-ministerial group meeting held on Monday, which was chaired by the aviation secretary Ashok Lavasa. The rush to complete the bilateral negotiations should be seen in light of the model code of conduct that will kick in soon before the General Elections 2014. If delayed, the government would have had to approach the Election Commission for permission before being able to enhance the agreement.
Last year, India agreed to a threefold increase in bilateral seat entitlements with Abu Dhabi. Politicians had opposed the enhancement with Dubai as well. However, unlike Abu Dhabi, where Indian carriers had not utilised even the 13,300 weekly seats allotted before the increase, with Dubai the utilisation is already at over 81%.
Communist Party of India (M) leader Gurudas Dasgupta wrote to the Prime Minister’s Office saying the increase will ‘bleed’ domestic airlines.
Currently, the bilateral seat entitlements between India and Dubai are at 54,200 seats per week.
“The increase will be done in three phases,” said a senior civil aviation ministry official. “In the first phase, which will be this summer schedule (April-October 2014), there will be 5,500 addition seats per week, in the winter schedule (October 2014-March 2015) there will be 3,300 seats and finally in next year’s summer schedule, an additional 2,200 seats per week will be increased.”
The meeting, which started on Wednesday evening, finished late in the night as the two sides were keen on completing the negotiations on Wednesday and move ahead with the signing of the MoU. The increase would mean that Emirates should be able to deploy at least two flights per day of the superjumbo A380 without any reduction in its current flights to India immediately. By the time the enhanced entitlements are fully completed, Emirates will be able to have four flights per week of the A380. The change in the bilateral air services agreement also has a major positive for Indian carriers. “Dubai has agreed to give the Indian carriers a change of gauge facility at the Dubai Airport,” said the civil aviation ministry official quoted above. “This would mean carriers who want to use Dubai as a hub can keep larger planes parked at Dubai,” he added.
A similar facility was also given by Abu Dhabi to Indian carriers. Of the current entitlements, Emirates and flydubai utilise almost the entire entitlement. Dubai had asked for an increase by 20,000 seats per week in late 2012. However, at that time Indian carriers were yet to fully utilise their entitlements. Since then, Indian carriers have started new flights to Dubai and as of the Winter Schedule they were utilising over 80% of the entitlements.
By summer 2014, this number is set to go up to 95%, which led to the aviation ministry finally considering Dubai’s request for enhancement. Air India and IndiGo had objected to the increase at an inter-ministerial group meeting held on Monday, which was chaired by the aviation secretary Ashok Lavasa. The rush to complete the bilateral negotiations should be seen in light of the model code of conduct that will kick in soon before the General Elections 2014. If delayed, the government would have had to approach the Election Commission for permission before being able to enhance the agreement.
Last year, India agreed to a threefold increase in bilateral seat entitlements with Abu Dhabi. Politicians had opposed the enhancement with Dubai as well. However, unlike Abu Dhabi, where Indian carriers had not utilised even the 13,300 weekly seats allotted before the increase, with Dubai the utilisation is already at over 81%.
Communist Party of India (M) leader Gurudas Dasgupta wrote to the Prime Minister’s Office saying the increase will ‘bleed’ domestic airlines.
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